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CENTRAL TEXAS – Stereotypes and stigmas associated with mental illness in the law enforcement community have historically created a culture that too often ignores the stress and mental anguish officer’s face.

The statistics related to mental illness and law enforcement suicides are staggering.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI):

1 in 5 individuals in the United States will face a mental health condition this year.

Almost 1 in 4 police officers has thoughts of suicide at some point in their life.

7 to 19 percent of police officers have symptoms of PTSD, compared to 3.5 percent among the general public.

More police die by suicide than by homicide: the number of police suicides is 2.3 times that of homicides.